Wagon-brake-rod connection.



O WOOTBN mean BRAKE non CONNECTION.

' AYPLIOATIOK FILBD'8BPT.10, 1908. 91 1 355 Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

OWEN WOO'TEN, OF PAGIrIu, MISSGURI.

WAGON-BBAICE-ROD CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed September 10, 1908. Serial No. 452,406.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN WOOTEN, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Pacific, Franklin county, Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in We on-Brake-Rod Connections, of which thefol owing is a specification, containing a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

My invention relates generally to wagon brakes, and more particularly toan im roved connecting member between the bra e rod or cable and therock shaft which is arranged adjacent the rear axle of the we on, andwhich rock shaft is connected to t 1e brake beam, the object of myinvention being to construct a simple, inexpensive connecting memberwhich may be readily attached to the brake rod or to the cable whichextends to the windin shaft at the forward end of the wagon be and whichconnecting 1nemher is provided with a pair of spring jaws, one of whichcarries a senes of pins which are adapted to en age through an aperturein the crank carried y the end of the rock shaft.

A further object of my invention is to construct the connecting memberwith a pair of spring jlpws and to provide a combined key and loc forsaid jaws, which ke is adapted to be partially rotated to open the jawsand to hold said spring jaws together when the connectin member isengaged on the crank of the roc shaft.

To the above pur oses, my invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter morefull set forth, ointed out in the claims, and i1 ustrated in t eaccompanying drawings, in which igure 1 is aperspective view of aconnecting member of m r improved construction, with the combined ey andlock removed; Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of a wagon frame, andshowing my improved connecting member arran ed between the crank on theend of the rock s aft and the cable which extends forward to the brakesetting mechanism; Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, showing theconnecting member sprun open by means of the combined key and Took; Fig.4 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fi 5 isan enlarged cross section taken on thefiine 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The body of my improved connecting member comprises a pair of jaws 1 and2 in the form of elon ated parallel plates, the rear ends of whic areoined by a loop 3; and which loop acts as a spring to force the jaws 1and 2 toward one another. This loop 3 also provides means for attachingthe rear end of the cable 4 which leads from the forward end of thewagon frame to the brake setting mechanism; and formed integral withthis loop 3 is a shank 5, which may be rigidl attached by welding to thebrake rod, whic arrangement is carried out where the cable 4 is notused. The free ends of the jaws 1 and 2 are spaced apart, and rigidlyfixed in one jaw is a series of horizontal r disposed pins 6, the freeends of which enters apertures 7 formed in the o posite jaw.

Formed on tlie inner faces of the jaws 1 and 2, between the loop 3 andthe series of pins 6, are the pairs of vertically disposed ribs 8, thefaces of which engage a ainst one another when the jaws are closed, t1us forming a slot 9; and positioned in this slot is a late 10, whichforms the body of the combined key and lock, there being a head 11formed integral with the top of said plate, and a lug 12 with the lowerend thereof. Formed integral with the late 11 is a pair of dependingfingers 12, w ich are adapted to engage against the jaws 1 and 2 toprevent the same from spreading when the device is in use.

A designates the rock shaft which is cellnected to the brake beam B; andformed into ral with one end of said rock shaft is a cran C, which isprovided with an aperture, (not shown), adapted to receive one of thepins 6.

When my improved connecting member is in use, it is attached to thecable 4, as shown in Fig. 2, or is rigidly connected to the end of abrake rod; and when it is desired to engage the crank C, the head 11 ofthe combined key and lock is engaged and the plate 10 is elevated untilthe lower ends of the fingers 12 are drawn above the upper edges of thejaws, after which the plate 10 is rotated approximately one-quarter of aturn; or unti it occupies a position at right angles to the jaws 1 and2, which action s rings the free ends of the jaws a art, (as shown inFig. 3,) thus drawing the rec ends of the pins 6 out of the apertures 7.One of the pins 6 is now enga ed through the a erture in the crank armafter which the icy is rotated to its original position, which permitsthe jaws to spring together, and the key is now allowed to drop so thatthe fingers 12 engage on opposite sides of the aws 1 and 2, thuspreventing the same from spreadin. which action would release the crankarm By providing a plurality of the pins 6, adjustment between the brakerod and rock shaft A is provided, thus compensating for any slack whichmay occur 1n the brake mechanism, or for any wear of the brake shoes.

A connecting member of my improved construction is simple, inexpensive,easily applied for use, and is adapted for all forms 0 wagon brakes.

I claim 1. A connecting member for wagon brakes, comprising a pair ofspring aws rigidly con nected to one another at one end and there beinga loop formed at the connected ends, a series of pins carried by one jawand engaging in apertures formed in the opposite aw, and a ey carried bysaid mem er for spreading the jaws.

2. A connecting member for wagon brakes,

comprising a pair of spring aws, a series of pins carried y one aw andengaging m apertures formed in the opposite jaw, a key carried by saidmember for spreading the jaws, and means carried by said key fornormally holding the jaws against spreading.

3. Aconnecting member for wagon brakes, comprising a pair of parallel.jaws, a loop connectmg the jaws at one end, a series of pins seated inone jaw and entering corresponding apertures formed in the opposite jaw,and a combined key and lock held between said aws.

4. A connecting member for wagon brakes, comprising a pair of paralleljaws, a loop connecting the jaws at one end, a shan formed integral withsaid loop, a series of pins seated in one jaw and entering correspondinapertures formed in the opposite jaw, and a combined key and lock heldbetween said jaws.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inpresence of two subscribing witnesses.

OWEN WVOOTEN.

Witnesses:

WM. J. HOFFMAN, Jos. BRENDNER.

